Door check



Feb, 25, 1941. F. J. WESTROPE DOCR CHECK Filed Jan. 22. 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 1 35' I I .23 I" Feb. 25, 1941.. F. J. WESTROPE noon CHECKFiled Jan. 22., 1940 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 25, 1941 PATENTOFFICE noon CHECK Frederick J. Westrope, Pleasant Ridge, Mich.,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of the United States Application January22, 1940, Serial No. 314,920 r 5 Claims.

' This invention relates generally to devices for checkingopeningmovement of a hinged door, and more particularly to a device forchecking the opening movement of a motor vehicle door and for releasablyholding the door in an open position. I

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improveddevice for checking opening movement of a motor vehicle door and foralso releasably holding the door in an open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved buffermeans for retarding opening swinging movement of a motor vehicle doorand for yieldingly holding the door in an open position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned character which is inexpensiveto manufacture but which isefiicient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connect-ion with the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in horizontal sectionof a vehicle body door frameand door and my improved door check andreleasable holder associated therewith;

' Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation of thestructure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the door shown in an openposition;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the door in its extreme openposition in which position the door is releasably held againstswingingclosed;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken along the -line and in the directionof the arms 5-5 of Fig. 2, having parts broken away and in section toshow certain details of construction;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a part of the device shown removedtherefrom;

Fig. '7 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of thecooperating door check parts,

' taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 'l'! of Fig.3, and 1 Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 taken along the line 88 ofFig. 4.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral 10designates in general, a vehicle body, vertical door frame member orhinge pillar on which, a door II is mounted by suitable verticallyspaced hinges I2, the pillar l0 and the door ll having opposed end wallsI3 and M respectively which are recessed to receive respective leaves ofthe hinges. Within the-pillar It], a reenforcing or backing plate I5 issecured to the pillar wall l3, the plate l5 and wall-l3 having aligningapertures to receive a bracket l6 which is provided with a head l1,within the pillar, which head ll abuts and may be rigidly secure to thebacking plate [5 by any suitable means. The bracket I6 is provided witha pair of vertically spaced arms 18 extending toward the door end wallI, externally of the pillar, one end of a checkarm 20 is pivoted to andbetween the arms I 8 by a pivot pin 2|, preferably a rivet.

Within the door II, a retainer, casing or cage 22 is provided havingoutturned flanges 23 which scat against a backing plate 24 which formsone wall of the retainer, the flanges 23, backing plate 24 and the hingedoor end wall I4 being provided with aligning apertures to receiverivets 26 for rigidly securing the reenforcing plate and cage to thedoor. "The casing 22 includes a wall 22a, spaced from and substantiallyparallel to the door end wall 14 and the backing plate 24, door end walll4 and the casing wall 22a are provided with aligning openings orapertures through which extends the check arm 20 which projects into thedoor having therein a free end on which is provided and secured a buffer21 preferably made of rubber or other suitable resilient material.

Positioned within the casing or retainer 22, a pair of yieldablecam-like bearing members or detents 28 are provided and are arranged toengage opposite sides of the check arm 20, these bearing members beingyieldingly urged against opposite sides of the check arm 20 byindividual, resilient or yieldable means such as spring members 29. Thespring members 29 are, in the present instance, bowed leaf springs, the

crowns of which engage respectively the bearing members 28 and the endsof which springs abut the opposite end walls 3!] of the retainer orcasing 22, see Fig. 5. Each of the cam-like bearing members 28 isprovided with an extended or riser-like cam portion which may be uniformthroughout its length, as shown in .Fig. 6, providing at the highsurface thereof a socket engaging preferably rounded projection 3|.

The arm 20 is provided with abutments 32 and 33 projecting from oppositesides of the arm adjacent to but spaced from the resilient buffer orstop 21, the abutments being adapted to abut and cooperate with thebearings 28 to retard swinging open of the door ll. These abutments 32and 33 also cooperate with the buffer or stop head 2! to provide arecess to receive the bearing members 28 when the door is swung to wideor extreme open position. To provide an inexpensive arm 20, theabutments are preferably made by pressing out of the arm 20 a pair ofthe abutments 32 spaced and between which the single abutment 33 ispressed out of the arm in the opposite direction to the abutments 32.These abutments 32 and 33 have rounded surfaces and where they join thearm 20 provide oppositely directed sockets 35 and 36 in which the socketengaging projections 3! of the yieldable abutment or bearing members 28are adapted to engage.

In operation, when the door II is swung open far enough, the abutments35 and 36 will come in contact with the yieldable members 28, theextended projections 3| of which will engage in the arm abutment sockets35 and if the door tends to open further, the abutments 32, 33 willpartially rotate the yieldable members 28 tending to move them away fromeach other and further tensioning the springs 29 which will act toretard the further swinging of the door. If the door is swung open withsufiicient force or if moved with the intention of opening it to itswide open position, the abutments 32 and 33 will partially rotate theyieldable members 28, forcing them apart until the abutments have passedover the projections 3| after which these portions 3| will engage backof the abutments 32 in the sockets 36 as shown in Fig. 8 for yieldinglyholding the door I I in open position; When the door H is again closed,the abutments pass back between the members 28 forcing them apart fornecessary clearance and the members are partially rotated back to thepositions shown in Fig. 7.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail it is to beunderstood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claimsfor many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a door check device having a check arm provided with spacedabutments providing a recess therebetween, a check device cooperablewith the check arm comprising, a retainer through which the arm extends,a pair of bearings in said retainer for engaging opposite sides of thearm and having socket engaging projections, said bearing members beingmovable away from each other so that one of the abutments may passtherebetween and the bearing members positioned in the recess formed bythe spaced abutments, said socket engaging projections engaging said oneabutment when said bearing members are positioned in said recess, andyieldable means acting to hold said bearing members in engagement withopposite sides of said arm.

2. A door check and holding means comprising, an arm member having anabutment intermediate its ends providing a socket, a retainer member,one of said members being mounted on the door and the other of saidmembers bein mounted on the door frame, a pair of bearing members insaid retainer and between which the arm extends, said pair of bearingmembers having extended socket engaging projections for engaging in thesocket formed by said abutment, and a second abutment on said arm andcooperating with said first-named abutment to provide a recesstherebetween to receive said bearing members, said bearing members beingmovable away from each other by said first-named abutment to position insaid recess and biased toward each other.

3. A door check and holding means compriss ing an arm member having anabutment providing oppositely directed sockets, a retainer memberthrough which the arm extends, said members being relatively movable andone of said members being carried by the door, a pair of rollers in saidretainer and engaging opposite sides of said arm, said rollers havingextended surface projections for engaging one or the other of saidsockets, and spring means urging said rollers into engagement withopposite sides of said arm.

4. A door check and holding means comprising an arm member having anabutment providing oppositely directed sockets, a retainer memberthrough which the arm extends, said members being relatively movable andone of said members being carried by the door, a pair of rollers in saidretainer and engaging opposite sides of said arm, said rollers havingextended surface projections for engaging one or the other of saidsockets, and bowed leaf springs in said retainer and urging said rollerstoward each other into engagement with opposite sides of said arm.

5.- A door check and holding means comprising an arm member having anabutment providing oppositely directed sockets and having a secondabutment member cooperable with the first to provide a recess, aretainer member through which the arm extends, said members beingrelatively movable and one of said members being carried by said door, apair of bearing members within said retainer and having cam surfacesengaging opposite sides of said arm, said bearing members being movableapart by said first abutment to engage in said recess to hold the doorin an open position and having projections engageable in said sockets,andmeans yieldingly opposing movement apart of said bearing members.

FREDERICK J. WESTROPE.

